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Published: October 29th 2006
Huraz
Breakfast early in the morning.Huraz
Huaraz sits well over 3000m high in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, where there are loads of peaks above 5000 meters. Once destroyed by an earthquake in the 70's Huraz has a practical feel to it. There is one main road with all the commercial facilities. The rest of the town is residential.
Most tourists opt for one of the 4-5 day tours (Santa Cruz loop). But we didn't have the time nor the money to spend doing this so, we set off on our own trek after visiting the tourist agency for a map.
Churup Trek
It was a full day trek, and one undertaken still suffering from stomach cramps. It wasn't technical but it was long and steep and the weather was against us.
The lady at the tourist agency promised a spectacular green lake at the top of this peak. But when we finally arrived at the top, there was just a small, puddle-like water spot where we dissapointedly ate our lunch. We couldn't believe it had shrunk to this. Sal, insisted it couldn't be THE lake. But there was nowhere else to go, there was just a rock face above us, which was
Huraz
The main road with all the tour agents. impossible to scale without ropes and equipment, although Sal tried his best without.
Later, when we were down at the base, after being rained on for several hours, and now, sheltering in the bus drivers fathers house for the only collectivo going back to Huraz, Sal showed his pictures and asked about the mysterious lake/puddle. We were informed that, in fact, that was not THE lake, we had not quite got to the top, the top was beyond the rock face, which was impossible to climb up without a guide and ropes. Humph! So, maybe the guide books were right, in Huraz it's better to take a guide (or get properly informed about the technicality of the hike).
Laguna Llanganuco
Near Yungay, and against the spectacular backdrop of Peru's highest mountain (Huascaran - 6768) is this turquoise lake. We got a collectivo and "taxi" to get there and it made a nice day trip out of Huraz. It was stunning but somehow because we hadn't hiked or struggled to get there, it didn't have quite the same impact as perhaps what it would have if you came across it on day 3 of a trek.
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